CN-113386698-B - Vehicle safety system implementing integrated active-passive frontal impact control algorithm

Abstract

A vehicle safety system for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a head-on collision includes a controller, one or more collision sensors for sensing a head-on collision, and an active sensor for detecting an object in the path of the vehicle. The controller is configured to implement a collision discrimination metric that detects the occurrence of a frontal collision in response to signals received from the collision sensor. The collision discrimination metric implements a threshold for determining whether a signal received from the collision sensor is indicative of the occurrence of a frontal collision. The controller is configured to implement an algorithm that uses information obtained from the active sensor to detect an object in a path of the vehicle and to select a threshold value implemented in the collision discrimination metric in response to detecting the object.

Inventors

• C. Bartlett
• K. Balasu bramania
• H. Feliande
• A. Fleckner

Assignees

• 采埃孚股份公司

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20210311

Priority Date

20200311

Claims (20)

1. 1. A vehicle safety system for helping to protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a frontal collision, the vehicle safety system comprising: A controller; one or more of the crash sensors may be provided, the one or more crash sensors are for sensing a frontal impact; and An active sensor for detecting an object in a path of the vehicle; Wherein the controller is configured to implement a collision discrimination metric that detects the occurrence of a frontal collision in response to a signal received from the collision sensor, the collision discrimination metric implementing a threshold for determining whether the signal received from the collision sensor indicates the occurrence of a frontal collision; wherein the controller is configured to implement an algorithm that uses information obtained from the active sensor to detect an object in the path of the vehicle and, in response to detecting the object, selects a threshold value implemented in the collision discrimination metric, Wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is further configured to select a misuse box associated with the selected threshold implemented by the collision discrimination metric based on information obtained from the active sensor.
2. 2. The vehicle security system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is further configured to: determining an object type of the object; Determining an estimated severity of impact with the object, and A threshold implemented in the collision discrimination metric is further selected in response to at least one of the object type and the estimated severity.
3. 3. The vehicle security system of claim 2, wherein the object type comprises one of an automobile, a truck, an obstacle, and a pole.
4. 4. The vehicle safety system of claim 2, wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is configured to determine the estimated severity by implementing a metric that determines the estimated severity based on a relative speed between the object and the vehicle.
5. 5. The vehicle safety system of claim 4, further comprising at least one actuatable safety device comprising an airbag having a two-stage inflator and a belt pretensioner, and wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is configured to determine one of the following actions to take in response to the estimated severity: neither the seat belt pretensioner nor the inflator is actuated; Actuating only the seat belt pretensioner; Actuating the seat belt pretensioner and inflator first stage; the belt pretensioner, inflator first stage and inflator second stage are actuated.
6. 6. The vehicle safety system of claim 2, wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is further configured to select a misuse box in response to at least one of the object type and estimated severity, the misuse box being associated with the selected threshold implemented by the collision discrimination metric.
7. 7. The vehicle safety system of claim 2, wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is further configured to determine the estimated severity by evaluating an estimated severity discrimination metric that compares a relative speed of the object with respect to the vehicle to a displacement.
8. 8. The vehicle security system of claim 1: Wherein the crash sensor comprises a front crush zone sensor CZS; wherein the collision discrimination metric includes a CZS switching discrimination metric for evaluating a CZS acceleration value to determine whether a CZS switching threshold is exceeded; Wherein the collision discrimination metric includes individual metrics associated with each object type determined by the algorithm, each individual metric including a normal threshold and a misuse box, and a post-CZS-switch threshold and a misuse box, the collision discrimination metric implementing the post-CZS-switch threshold and the misuse box when the CZS-switch discrimination metric determines that the CZS-switch threshold is exceeded, the normal threshold and the misuse box being implemented without exceeding the CZS-switch threshold, and Wherein the collision discrimination metric further includes a normal preset threshold and a misuse box, and a CZS post-switch preset threshold, wherein when the CZS switching discrimination metric determines that the CZS switching threshold is exceeded and the algorithm detects the object in the path of the vehicle, the collision discrimination metric implements the CZS post-switch preset threshold and the misuse box, and implements the normal preset threshold and the misuse box without exceeding the CZS switching threshold and the algorithm detecting the object in the path of the vehicle.
9. 9. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is configured to detect an object in the path of the vehicle by: identifying the object; determining whether a lateral position of the object relative to the vehicle is within a predetermined threshold; evaluating a time-to-collision TTC discrimination metric to determine whether a relative speed between the object and the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of an impending collision, and A longitudinal distance collision discrimination metric is evaluated to determine whether a longitudinal position of the object relative to the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of an impending collision.
10. 10. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the algorithm implemented by the controller is configured to detect an object in the path of the vehicle by: identifying a state of the object; determining whether the calculated collision probability is greater than a predetermined collision probability, and A time-to-collision TTC discrimination metric is evaluated to determine whether a relative speed between the object and the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold indicative of an impending collision.
11. 11. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the crash sensor is a component of a passive safety system further comprising at least one actuatable safety device, the passive safety system configured to respond to the occurrence of a vehicle crash by actuating the safety device, and wherein the active sensor is a component of an active safety system configured to predict the occurrence of the vehicle crash.
12. 12. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the crash sensor comprises at least one of a crush zone sensor and an airbag controller unit ACU sensor in the form of an accelerometer for measuring vehicle acceleration along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle.
13. 13. The vehicle safety system of claim 12, wherein the collision discrimination metric has a value determined by comparing acceleration and displacement, or velocity and displacement, measured by the collision sensor, and the collision discrimination metric determines the occurrence of a frontal collision in response to the value exceeding the threshold.
14. 14. The vehicle safety system of claim 2, wherein the active sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the information obtained from the active sensor comprises the object type, an object lateral position, a time to collision TTC with the object, a relative speed of the object with the vehicle, and a longitudinal position of the object relative to the vehicle.
15. 15. The vehicle safety system of claim 14, wherein the algorithm for detecting an object in a path of the vehicle is configured to detect the object by: determining whether the object type is an identified object type; determining whether the object lateral position is within a predetermined threshold range; determining whether the time to collision TTC exceeds a predetermined threshold by evaluating a time to collision TTC impact discrimination metric to determine whether the time to collision TTC of the object is within a threshold indicative of an impending collision, the threshold being determined with respect to a relative speed of the object and the vehicle, and Determining whether a longitudinal distance between the object and the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold by evaluating a longitudinal distance collision discrimination metric to determine whether a longitudinal position of the object relative to the vehicle is within a threshold indicative of an impending collision, the threshold being determined with respect to a relative speed of the object and the vehicle.
16. 16. The vehicle security system of claim 15, wherein the identified object type comprises an automobile, truck, obstacle, or pole.
17. 17. The vehicle safety system of claim 1, wherein the active sensor comprises a radar sensor, and wherein the information obtained from the active sensor comprises an object state, a collision probability, a time to collision TTC with the object, and a relative speed of the object with the vehicle.
18. 18. The vehicle safety system of claim 17, wherein the algorithm for detecting an object in the vehicle path is configured to detect the object by: Determining whether the object state is an identified object state; Determining whether the collision probability is greater than a predetermined threshold probability, and Determining whether the time to collision TTC exceeds a predetermined threshold by evaluating a time to collision TTC discrimination metric to determine whether the time to collision TTC of the object is within a threshold indicative of an impending collision, the threshold being determined in relation to a relative speed of the object and the vehicle.
19. 19. The vehicle security system of claim 18, wherein the identified object state comprises a forward state, a rearward state, a lateral state, a stationary state, or a moving state.
20. 20. The vehicle security system of claim 1, wherein the active sensor comprises at least one of a camera and a radar sensor.

Description

Vehicle safety system implementing integrated active-passive frontal impact control algorithm Background Modern vehicles include various systems for helping to achieve occupant safety. These vehicle safety systems may include passive safety systems and/or active safety systems. In general, passive safety systems are reactive systems that provide occupant protection in response to detecting the occurrence of an event requiring occupant protection, such as a vehicle collision. Active safety systems, on the other hand, attempt to predict the occurrence of an event requiring occupant protection and take active avoidance measures. Passive safety systems include one or more passive restraint devices, such as airbags and seat belt retractors, that are actuatable to assist in protecting a vehicle occupant. These vehicle safety systems utilize an airbag control unit that is operatively connected to an airbag and various crash sensors such as accelerometers and pressure sensors. In response to determining a collision situation based on information provided by the collision sensor, the airbag control unit is operable to deploy the airbag by activating an inflator that directs inflation fluid into the airbag. When inflated, driver airbags and passenger airbags help protect occupants from impacts with vehicle components such as the dashboard and/or steering wheel of the vehicle. Active safety systems utilize sensing devices such as cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic transducers to determine conditions around the vehicle. In response to the sensed condition, the vehicle warning system may provide visual, audible, and tactile warnings to the driver. This is the case, for example, in blind spot detection, lane departure, front/rear object detection, intersection traffic detection, pedestrian detection. The active safety system may also use the sensed conditions to actively actuate vehicle controls such as active cruise control, active braking, active steering in response to lane departure detection, and the like. Sensing devices utilized in active safety systems each have particular advantages. Cameras are very efficient in object detection. When arranged to be viewed from several angles, the camera may provide information to the vehicle that the artificial intelligence algorithm of the vehicle safety system may use to detect external objects along the road side, such as other vehicles, pedestrians, or objects (such as trees or garbage cans). The camera can accurately measure the angle, which allows the vehicle security system to early identify whether an approaching object will enter the path of the vehicle. Using long-range zoom and short-range zoom in combination with varying degrees of wide and narrow field of view, cameras can become an important tool for safety features such as collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control, automatic braking systems, and lane keeping assist functions. Radar sensors use an echo system to detect objects, which is beneficial in situations where the visibility of the reduced effectiveness of the camera is poor. Radar sensors emit electromagnetic waves and receive "echoes" that reflect back from surrounding objects. Radar sensors are particularly effective in determining the distance and speed of objects such as vehicles and pedestrians relative to the vehicle. The radar sensor can function regardless of weather, light or visibility conditions, and is therefore an ideal choice for maintaining distance, issuing collision warnings, blind spot detection, emergency braking, etc. Lidar sensors also employ echo principles, using laser pulses instead of radio waves. Lidar sensors record distance and relative speed with accuracy comparable to radar. Additionally, lidar sensors are also capable of identifying object types and angles between objects with a higher level of accuracy. Thus, more complex traffic conditions can be well identified with lidar sensors, even in darkness. Unlike cameras and radar sensors, the viewing angle is not critical for lidar sensors, as lidar sensors can record the 360 degree environment of the vehicle. High resolution 3D solid state lidar sensors may even present pedestrians and smaller objects in three dimensions. Disclosure of Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle safety system including both active and passive components. In this specification, "active safety" is used to refer to a technique that contributes to the prevention of a collision (i.e., "collision avoidance"), and "passive safety" is used to refer to a vehicle component that contributes to the protection of an occupant in response to the detection of the occurrence of a collision, such as an airbag, a seat belt, and a physical structure of the vehicle (e.g., a crumple zone). The passive safety system includes one or more sensors (such as accelerometers and/or pressure sensors) configured to sense the occurrence of a crash event. The controller is configured to receive signals from the s